


Hurricane

by petyrbaelishking



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: All the Beautiful Things, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Smut, no real plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-14 19:25:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11789832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/petyrbaelishking/pseuds/petyrbaelishking
Summary: Sansa's roommate Margaery convinces her to get a dating app after she's begun isolating herself after a rough two year relationship with Joffrey Baratheon comes to an end. What Sansa did not expect was the older man with the mysterious gray green eyes and graying temples to step into her life and shatter her world like a hurricane.





	1. I: Swipe Right

**Author's Note:**

> Hey kids. Welcome to the ride. Is this going to be like almost every other Petyr and Sansa AU you read? Probably. With my little twist on it of course as all authors have their tricks. This is honestly trash and I'm admitting to it. Sometimes I can't look at myself in the mirror.
> 
> Alright down to business, I'm going to warn you all now, this is going to have a messed up update schedule. I work a lot and sometimes I'm a lazy asshole who scrolls on tumblr instead of writing. But I'm going to try because I'm pretty excited about this fic.
> 
> second thing I want to let you good people know, there is not going to be a strong plot in the beginning. The beginning is going to be like some dreadful rom com where sleazy pete is sweet on Sansa and it's literally disgusting. I'm doing things a little backwards. The beginning is going to seem quite chill and happy and awe look at the love but that's where it stops. I've got some surprises I hope mess you up (in like a good way).
> 
> Last thing before we start our journey together, thank you for clicking on this piece of trash. It excites me that this even remotely peaked your interest and I'd love for you to let me know how I do down in the comments. 
> 
> Without further ado, here's the trash:

**SANSA**

 

 

“Sansa?” the song like tone of Sansa’s roommate Margaery called out.

“In here,” Sansa called from her room where she lay atop her bed, laptop and text book in front of her. The screen displayed pictures and reading on the recent embezzlement scandal of the Baratheons in which Robert had been using funds from the government to support his own luxury. It was a piece she was reading over for her political science class as she was supposed to write an essay on what affect his actions should have on his political standpoint, especially due to the fact that he was the Prime Minister. Sansa overall found the topic rather interesting, except for the fact that Robert was the father of Sansa’s ex boyfriend Joffrey.

“Are you still doing school work? It’s been like four hours Sans, you’ve got to take a break sometime,” Margaery started, leaning her slim figure against the doorframe. Sansa rolled her eyes. This was a constant conversation they had. Margaery was into partying and going out while Sansa found more comfort in doing her school work.

“I took a break an hour ago to make a snack,” Sansa replied, eyes on the screen of her laptop. She could feel the force of Margaery’s blue eyes rolling back into her head.

“This is what I’m talking about. All you’ve done since Joffrey is you’ve studied. You cut out friends, you barely keep up with your family. This isn’t healthy,” Margaery stated, taking a few uninvited steps into Sansa’s room. Sansa finally looked up at her.

“I could be shooting heroin into my veins but instead I’m putting all I have into school. It could be much worse.” Margaery sighed at the stubbornness of Sansa’s words. Of course she would say it could be worse, she had no idea that what she was doing was even remotely harmful to herself. Margaery sat herself on the end of Sansa’s bed, closing the laptop with a click. “Hey! I was working on that.”

“It’s break time, and we need to get you out there so you stop sitting in here sulking over your papers every night,” Margaery stated, leaving no room for argument. Sansa glared daggers at her. Sure the assignment wasn't due for another week, but she would rather have it done early, as she usually did.

“Now, I have just the plan to get you back out there again.” Sansa rolled her eyes. Anytime Margaery ‘hatched a plan’, it didn’t always go to well. Hell, it was her idea to hook Sansa up with Joffrey and with just enough of the right whispering, the match was set. _Look how well that turned out_ , Sansa thought.

“What is this genius plan?” Sansa asked, almost afraid of the answer. Margaery beamed and scooted closer to Sansa on the bed.

“We’re going to get you on a dating app!” Margaery exclaimed. Sansa’s jaw dropped. A what? She shook her head as Margaery stared up at her with bright eyes.

“You can’t be serious,” Sansa pleaded, hoping it was just a joke that Margaery had come up with to raise Sansa’s spirits. The smile on the other girl’s face did not waver as she watched the girl frowning in front of her.

“Of course I’m serious! It’s perfect. It starts you off slow so that you don’t have to go out to the club right away and you can block anyone you don’t feel comfortable with. It’s totally safe and user friendly. Come on Sans, give it a shot.” Sansa hated how Margaery had these doe eyes that made you melt under her stare. She could get anyone to do anything with the look she was giving Sansa right then and there, a look that was almost like a puppy begging for a pet. Sansa sighed, knowing she would let Margaery have her way.

“Fine, I’ll do it,” Sansa replied defeated. Margaery beamed even more. She held her hand out

“Hand me your phone.” Reluctantly, Sansa handed it over after typing the passcode in.

“I can’t believe I’m letting you do this,” Sansa groaned, putting her face in her hands as Margaery typed away. Mere moments passed where Sansa could live in bliss, pretending this wasn’t happening, until Margaery spoke.

“There, all done. Take a look.” Sansa lifted her head up glancing over at Margaery’s outstretched hand which held her phone in it. Taking a deep breath, Sansa picked it up, feeling the hammering of her heart in her chest. Why was she so nervous?

The profile Margaery had set up was rather aesthetically pleasing. There were approximately six pictures of Sansa on it, a couple were selfies and a few were candids that she had shared on Instagram but they looked good nonetheless. Her name and age were located below the pictures along with a username that read ‘redwolf’. Sansa smiled.

“Clever name,” she told Margaery. Margaery grinned.

“Are you ready to swipe on some beauties?” Sansa hesitated before nodding. “Okay scoot over, I have got to see this.”

Sansa scooted over on her bed while Margaery crawled up beside her.

“How do you work this thing?” Sansa asked, already feeling rather dumb about the whole thing. Margaery giggled beside her which did not ease Sansa’s nerves.

“Okay you see that button in the middle of the bottom of the screen? Click that. From there, you swipe. If you like a guy, swipe right, if not swipe left. If you want to see more of someone’s profile, tap on their picture and you can see their bio and pictures,” Margaery explained. Sansa nodded slowly, trying to wrap her head around the functions of the app. She managed to get to the middle button where a picture of a topless man with blonde hair holding a surf board on a beach popped up. He looked pretty from the picture, he had nice shaggy, sandy locks that swept over his forehead, a chiselled jaw, and a broad, muscular body.

“Hello there!” Margaery exclaimed, tapping on his picture to see more. Together they flipped through his photos. He looked tall in group photos and he had really nice dimples. “Okay so his name is Harry and he’s twenty-three. His bio reads; ‘laidback guy who enjoys surfing, puppies, and moonlit walks on the beach. Looking for a girl to enjoy these with.’ Okay his bio is a bit rough but did you see that body?”

“He does have some rather impressive features,” Sansa giggled, glancing over Harry’s body again with a blush.

“Swipe right,” Margaery instructed and Sansa did as she was told. The next guy they came across was familiar to Sansa.

“Oh god no, it’s Theon, I grew up with him. What if he sees me on this app?” she panicked. Margaery stuck her tongue out.

“I never really liked that boy. There is just something too… confident about him. Swipe left.” Sansa did as she was instructed again, cringing inwardly at finding her brother’s best friend from childhood on this dating app.

Next up was a boy with dark hair and blue eyes. He was posed sitting on a park bench, a large dark pitbull on either side of him. He did not smile.

“He looks interesting,” Margaery cooed. Without further prompting, Sansa clicked on his picture. His name was Ramsay, he was twenty-two and did not smile in any of his pictures. “His bio reads ‘If you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention.’ That’s dark, and mysterious. Maybe he’s got some deep mysterious side of him that makes him so intense. I say swipe right for the adventure.”

With a little hesitation, Sansa swiped right on the boy who never smiled. Next was a young man with dark hair and warm brown eyes standing proudly with a high school diploma.

“He’s adorable,” Margaery squealed. Sansa took the hint and clicked on the boy’s picture. His name was Podrick, he was twenty, and Margaery was correct when she said he was adorable. “Awe, oh my gosh his bio says ‘just looking for a girl to make m’lady’ I could just melt. Please swipe for Podrick, If you don’t like him, I’ll take him”

Sansa giggled as she swiped on the adorable boy with the warm brown eyes and the freckles. They continued on for a while, swiping left on most but swiping right on a few including boys named Grenn, Pyp, and Jojen. A couple boys had even swiped back on her including Ramsay, Podrick, and Pyp. Overall, Sansa was having fun with it. Her and Margaery laughed about a number of bios and some familiar faces that they saw on the app. It was easy, it was fun.

The next man who came up, however, threw Sansa off. He was an older man, she had seen older men on the app earlier but had always swiped left on them. This man had a thin face, hair graying at the temples, and a finely trimmed goatee framing his face. His eyes were a deep gray green that seemed to go on forever, even through a picture.

“Seven hells does he ever look like a sugar daddy,” Margaery exclaimed, staring at the picture. Sansa flushed a shade of red as she clicked on his picture. He had numerous photos of him doing numerous things. In one picture, he was standing outside a rather wealthy establishment, with his arm around a young redhead who might have been a few years older than Sansa. In another photo, he was standing on a boat, looking off to the sea with sunglasses on and a cigar in his mouth. He looked well dressed in each of the photos; he dressed with an air of elegance. He was certainly not an ugly man either.

“So his name is Petyr, his age isn’t listed and he doesn’t have a bio. Seems kind of sketchy but I’d go for it Sans,” Margaery spoke. Sansa looked at her with wide eyes. She was petrified.

“Seriously? He has to be at least twice my age. And he’s probably a serial killer. He doesn’t even have a bio!” Sansa shouted. Margaery put a hand on her back rubbing it gently. Sansa let out a breath she hadn’t known she had been holding in.

“It’s okay. You’re right, he’s older but he’s not unattractive and it looks like he’s loaded. And he’s not a serial killer. Plus if he is, you don’t even have to meet him! Chances are he might not even swipe back. But you’ll never know if you don’t try,” Margaery coaxed. Out came those puppy eyes again. Sansa took a deep breath. It couldn’t hurt could it? She was right, he might not even swipe back. Timidly and slowly she swiped right, holding it there for a second to make sure she wanted to do it.

She regretted it instantly. As soon as she had swiped, a message appeared that he had liked her back and that they were a match. Sansa gasped and tossed her phone onto her bed. No. He was so much older, she had barely left childhood. No, he couldn’t have swiped on her.

“Looks like sugar daddy is looking for a little red headed sugar baby,” Margaery chuckled. Sansa looked at her friend.

“It’s not funny, what if he’s some pedophile? What if he tries to find me? I watched an episode of dateline once and the same thing happened to this girl, this guy traced her and found her though and he took her away and she was never seen again and-,” Margaery put a hand up to Sansa’s lips, shutting down her frantic string of words.

“Sans, he can’t and won’t hurt you. If you’re really that worried about it, you can just un-match with him,” Margaery soothed, as she retreated the hand on Sansa’s lips and moved it to her back, rubbing little circles.

“You can do that?” Sansa asked, eyes wide and frantic. Margaery chuckled again, finding Sansa’s little freak out rather amusing.

“Yes of course, just go on to his profile and click the drop down menu in the top right corner and an option will come up to un-match,” the older girl explained. Sansa nodded as some of the panic began to subside from her chest. She clicked on Petyr’s picture, landing on his profile. She when to tap the drop down menu when a notification popped up that made her blood run cold. He had sent her a message, which was already terrifying enough but if that wasn’t scary, what the message entailed was.

_mockingbxrd: Are you Catelyn’s daughter?_


	2. II: Innocence

** PETYR **

 

 

 

_Are you Catelyn’s daughter?_

 

He could have started that better. Though, Petyr couldn’t quite justify any other way that would have been better. He was on a bloody dating app, how else was he supposed to move forward? He sighed as he stared at the message he had sent. He wasn’t even sure why he had joined this ridiculous app. He barely used it and when he did, he typically swiped left on most of the people that popped up. All but one.

 

He had been ready to swipe left but that flash of red hair and those dazzling blue eyes transported him back to a time he could barely remember. He felt like a boy again, chasing after that red headed beauty in the yard. Except, she was different. She looked fairer and almost more beautiful than the image his memory held. He had clicked on her picture, hoping to know more of this beauty.

 

Sansa, it said her name was. And she was eighteen. Eighteen should be a problem for him but there he was, going through her pictures and already half hard in his pants.

 

She had to be related to Catelyn somehow, he just knew it. She was a mirror image of Catelyn when she was that age. Perhaps her and the Stark brute had created this beautiful girl.

 

He did the only logical thing he could think to do when landing across such a treasure, he swiped right. It wasn’t likely she swiped right for him anyways, he was clearly much older than her and she struck him as more innocent from her pictures.

 

He sighed heavily again as he shifted on his leather couch to stretch his legs out. He clicked off his phone and picked up the remote instead. Turning the tv on, he satisfied himself by landing in the news. The familiar face of Mace Tyrell came up as he went on to talk about the recent Baratheon family scandal, _well one of them that had actually gone public_ , Petyr thought to himself. That family was full of scandal and lies.

 

“Prime Minister Baratheon has not yet spoken out about the allegations of his embezzlement into government funds but sources close to his office claim that he has no plans of stepping down. If the allegations are true, Baratheon has the option of stepping down or will be forcefully removed from office. If it comes to this point, an election will be held where it looks like Baratheon’s son will be taking over Baratheon’s party and he will go head to head with the opposing party of Daenerys Targaryen, who’s father was prime minister before Robert Baratheon was elected.”

 

The buzz of Petyr’s phone pulled him from the story he was listening to. He picked up the phone, reading the notification.

 

_Sansa is a match!_

 

He read. Something filled in his chest. Fear? Relief? He wasn’t sure. He wasn’t necessarily good at these interactions. Business, he could do. He could charm people into doing what he liked. But that was often in person. Over an app, it would be harder to make an impression that didn’t seem, well, creepy.

 

Yet, he wasted no time opening his phone and typing out his question, the one that lingered in his mind since he had first landed upon the girl.

 

_Are you Catelyn’s daughter?_

 

It was definitely an odd way to start a conversation but it would have to do. He stared at the message for, gods, who knew how long. He half expected her to not answer and to block him. That’s what the good little girl of Catelyn and Ned Stark would do, he predicted. He was rather shocked when a reply came through.

 

_redwolf: Yes. How do you know my mother?_

He couldn’t help the smirk that spread across his face.

 

_mockingbxrd: She was a childhood friend. We grew up together._

He knew that would only increased awareness of the gap in their age, but she had swiped right on him in the first place knowing he was much older which gave him hope, misguided hope surely, but hope nonetheless.

 

_redwolf: I’ve never heard her mention a Petyr_

_mockingbxrd: No, you wouldn’t have. Your father and I weren’t on the best of terms._

That certainly wasn’t a lie. Ned Stark was less of a brute than his brother, Brandon, had been but Ned didn’t necessarily take to Petyr very well. Ned didn’t want Petyr anywhere near Cat once they were together.

 

_redwolf: Why swipe?_

Her question was one he wasn’t sure how to answer. Because she looked like a woman he used to love? No that wouldn’t do. If he wanted her to continue to interact with him he needed to be cleverer.

 

_mockingbxrd: I don’t usually swipe but something compelled me to this time._

Sure, that would work. His head spun a bit. He had matched with Catelyn Stark’s daughter on a dating site. That was something his wildest dreams had never come up with. A wicked thought passed through his mind. Perhaps this was his way back in? No, surely not. He would always love Cat but the time for that had passed. So what did he plan to do with this girl? She didn’t necessarily serve him any purpose, any real gain, but it wouldn’t hurt to have a bit of fun, would it?

 

_redwolf: Oh sure you don’t usually swipe._

 

Was that sarcasm?

 

_mockingbxrd: You don’t believe me?_

_redwolf: It doesn’t seem too likely._

 

He chuckled a little to himself. If only she knew the half of it. Sure, he could do rather decently if he did swipe. He was an older gentleman, but he certainly wasn’t an ugly man, he knew that. Yet his interest was elsewhere, he had always been focused on the past endeavours and future prospects rather than relationships in the present.

 

_mockingbxrd: I can prove it over dinner. What do you say we go for dinner this Friday and you can really determine if I’m telling you the truth?_

 

His proposal was a bold one, he knew so. He almost doubted that she would agree but she must have some curiosity about him if she swiped. He hoped it was enough to get her to go for dinner.

 

_redwolf: I’d like that._

 

He read the message over a couple times. She’d like that? This girl seemed to be full of surprises. He smiled to himself before typing in some details about when and where, feeling a strange sense of triumph in his chest.

 

 

 

**SANSA**

 

“Margaery!” Sansa screamed at the brown-haired girl who had run out of her room with Sansa’s phone. She couldn’t believe this. Sansa wanted to end the conversation, block the strange man who knew her mother, and yet Margaery pushed her.

 

“No Sansa! I’m telling you, this could be good,” Margaery exclaimed back as Sansa ran out of the room to follow her. Sansa huffed in annoyance.

 

“He’s my parents’ age Marg, I can’t go out with him,” she replied, reaching a hand out to snatch the phone from Margaery. Margaery was faster and she pulled the phone out of reach, receiving an eyeroll from Sansa.

 

“Yes, you can. Look, he’s a good-looking guy with money who seems to be interested in you. And he’s got that hot mysterious vibe going for him. Joffrey destroyed you. He was an asshole to you and your family and you haven’t been the same since. I want you to get back out there. This guy, even though he’s older, could be a new something for you. Or maybe he just turns out to be an old pervert you never see again but you should try it. You need to try something new, Sans.” Sansa hated it when Margaery’s dumb ideas started to make sense. She crossed her arms over her chest.

 

“If I go, will you promise to never make me do this again?”

 

“If you go and decide afterwards that it’s not something you want to do, then fine, I’ll leave it alone.” Margaery wore a smirk across her face, knowing she was winning this fight. Sansa sighed deeply, uncrossing her arms and holding out her phone.

 

“Fine, I’ll go to dinner on Friday, but that’s it. Then I want no more pressure to go out with guys, _especially_ guys old enough to be my father,” Sansa gave in. Margaery smiled and returned the phone as Sansa looked over the guy once again. No, he was not unattractive, not at all. But there was something about the way his smile did not meet his eyes that unnerved her.

 

“Yes! Okay we must pick out an outfit for you. It’s what? Wednesday, that gives us two days to prepare,” Margaery began making plans for Sansa as Sansa rolled her eyes and anxiously tugged on the sleeves of her old Harvard sweater that had once belonged to her father.

 

“Oh, and Sansa, it might be worth it to mention just from personal experience, older guys are incredible in the sack.” Sansa swore she had never turned a deeper shade of red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is literal trash and i took so long to write it because i was aware it was trash but oh well. it's short too and not worth the wait but you know what? this innocent 18 year old and sleazy pete are gonna meet in the next chapter which will hopefully easier to write and much better quality than whatever the hell this chapter turned out to be.
> 
> though i am forever grateful to those of you who read my trash.


	3. III: L'inizio

** SANSA **

 

Friday had come too soon, she feared. She had tried desperately to keep busy through the two days; when she wasn’t in class, she was studying. Somehow it became increasingly difficult to focus on the words. Images of those unnerving grey green eyes flashed in her head more often than she wished to admit. Something about those eyes intrigued her. She simply wanted to know more. But she didn’t. She was terrified of meeting this man, much older and much more _experienced_ , as Margaery would put it.

 

Margaery had been nonstop about the whole ordeal. Everything was about what Sansa was going to wear and what she was going to say and what she was going to do. Nothing would shut her up. Sansa even tried to turn the subject around on Margaery’s own love life every once and a while but Margaery wouldn’t budge. The older girl was set on mentoring Sansa on the ways of love.

 

Eventually Friday night came and Sansa couldn’t attempt to push it to the back of her mind any longer. This was happening. She wished nothing more than to back out and stay in her sweats to study for the upcoming midterm she had, but there was no way Margaery would let that slide. She was determined to have Sansa go.

 

“Come on Sans, let me have a look at you,” Margaery called from the common room. Sansa gave herself a final glance in the mirror. She was a pretty girl, she knew that, but her mother had always taught her modesty was key to being a proper lady. Though tonight, Sansa could admit to herself that she had rather outdone herself. She wore a black skirt that reached about mid-thigh, topped with a tight baby blue top she borrowed from Margaery, in which the neckline plunged a little deeper than what she was accustomed to. Her makeup was simple but made the blue of her eyes pop while her long red locks stayed down with a slight natural wave. She smiled at her reflection. She did feel rather gorgeous.

 

She took a deep breath before walking out to the waiting eyes of her friend. Margaery beamed as Sansa rounded the corner.

 

“You look incredible, darling!” Margaery exclaimed. Sansa couldn’t help but flush slightly at the praise. “Honestly, you look beautiful. He may drop dead when he sees you. Quite literally.”

 

“That would get the night over with faster,” Sansa replied, still smiling. Margaery grabbed her hand.

 

“Don’t worry so much Sans, if anything, you are getting a free meal out of it,” Margaery told her friend. Sansa did not find this so reassuring, but nodded anyways. “C’mon, I’ll drop you off.”

 

Sansa followed her friend out the door. She cursed herself for giving the car up to her brother, Robb, while his was in the shop. Campus was only a block away and there were grocery stores nearby so she figured Robb would need the car more than she did. Boy, was she wrong. They climbed into Margaery’s little minivan that she called the ‘soccer momobile’. Once Sansa had made the mistake of asking why she had a minivan if she believed it was for soccer moms and Margaery’s response was “more space for more activities.” Sansa’s mind didn’t have to wander far to know what she meant. Sansa had blushed deeply at that. She had never been as in touch with her sexuality as Margaery was but Sansa felt a sense of pride in her friend for that part of her personality. Margaery knew who she was and didn’t let anyone shame her about it.

 

“Alright, so where is this place again?” Margaery asked as they pulled out of the apartment garage. Sansa picked up her phone and checked the messages from the man she was meeting. He hadn’t messaged her since the other day and she wasn’t sure whether that made her feel relieved or more nervous.

 

“So, it’s called L'inizio. It’s up on 6th. It looks pretty fancy,” Sansa answered, biting her lip gently.

 

“Oh, I think I’ve passed it a few times on the way to grandmother’s, never paid it much attention though. Sounds Italian. You like Italian food, right?” Margaery inquired, glancing over at her friend briefly before merging on to the main road.

 

“I love Italian food,” Sansa replied. Part of her hated that he was taking her for Italian, to a high class Italian restaurant at that. She heard Margaery giggle.

 

“Well, sounds like you guys might have that in common.” Sansa groaned at Margaery’s comment. She leaned forward and turned on the radio, hoping some music would stop the conversation. She was already anxious enough about meeting this stranger and Margaery was not helping. She couldn’t blame Margaery though, that’s just how she is. Margaery was always the risk-taker, the outgoing girl with the doe eyes that made all the boys go insane. It was what made them so different. Sansa liked to stay inside, she liked to study and spend days reading.

 

“What are you thinking?” Margaery spoke over the dull music.

 

“That I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” Sansa replied, watching as they passed traffic, sun setting on the horizon. She heard Margaery sigh as she turned into the downtown area.

 

“I’m sure it will be okay. I’m going to go visit grandmother, she’s only a fifteen-minute drive from 6th. If something goes wrong or you don’t think you can stay any longer, just text me and I’ll make it in less than ten,” Margaery assured her. Sansa nodded. She knew Margaery would be there if anything went wrong. Sansa didn’t feel like saying anything more, she was getting more and more nervous each minute that rolled by. She was tempted to just tell Margaery to pull the car over and let her get out.

 

Sansa began to think about the man she was about to meet. She knew next to nothing about him other than he knew her parents and he was rather wealthy. She knew not what he did for work, or hobbies, or god forbid if he was married. She knew nothing. And yet those eyes, they held a story, one she wanted to hear.

 

“Hey, Sansa, we’re here,” Margaery’s voice had brought her from her thoughts. Sansa hadn’t even noticed they were parked. She hesitantly unbuckled her seatbelt with a shaking hand. “It will be okay Sans. Tell you what, I’ll sit here for a few minutes while you meet the guy. If he’s a total creep, I’ll get you out of there, but if you think you want to carry out the date, just shoot me a text saying you’re okay.”

 

“Okay, that sounds fine. If you don’t hear from me in ten minutes though, I want you to come in,” Sansa said. Margaery chuckled quietly.

 

“Of course, dear. I’ll be here okay? Now you don’t want to be late.” Sansa took a deep breath and opened the passenger door. She slowly stepped out and glanced back at Margaery, who smiled at her encouragingly. Sansa managed a half assed smile back before shutting the door.

 

She began her walk to the main entrance where there was a patio full of people eating and laughing under a hundred fairy lights tied around trees. The restaurant was rather beautiful itself, high class but with a vintage look on it. Almost like something out of a picture from Rome.

 

On her way to the entrance, she stopped dead only meters away as she saw him. He stood just off to the side of the entrance with a cigarette between his fingers. _Dammit_ , she thought, _he looks better in person_. His dark hair was neatly combed to the side as his graying temples stood out, but not in a bad way. He had a close-trimmed mustache and a bit of a beard but it looked rather neat and elegant. He was dressed in a dark button-up shirt with a navy blazer and dark slacks. But what really caught her eye was the pin he wore on the lapel of his jacket, it looked to be a bird of some sort.

 

She wasn’t sure how long she had been looking at him but he caught her eye just as he exhaled another puff of smoke. He put the half smoke out in an ashtray next to him before striding over to her. He wasn’t too tall, shorter than her by a couple inches in her heels, but somehow that didn’t stop him from being intimidating.

 

“Sansa,” the words fell from his lips coolly as a devilish smirk played on his lips. She felt herself blush.

 

“Petyr,” she tried to echo his coolness but the word tasted foreign in her mouth. She realized she had never said his name out loud before.

 

“I don’t want to sound too forward but your photos do no justice,” he cooed. She could feel the heat on her face.

 

“Thank you,” was all she could utter out. He nodded with a smile that did not match his eyes. She briefly wondered why.

 

“Shall we?” he asked, gesturing to the entrance. She nodded at him and he led the way in, making sure she didn’t trail too far behind. Her chest felt heavy, her breaths short. He made her nervous already. Maybe she should just leave, run back to Margaery’s car and go back to her studying. But she followed behind him still, stepping through the door he held open with a polite smile spread across his face, a dark gleam in his eye not reflecting such a smile.

 

“Thank you,” she muttered to him, barely a whisper. Her voice almost seemed trapped within her throat, as if she were afraid to speak. The air was warm in the restaurant as a smartly dressed man and woman greeted her and her date with a twinge of an Italian accent slipping from their voices.

 

“Reservation for Baelish,” she heard his voice from behind her. She could just barely feel him standing there, chest against her back.

 

“Of course, Mr. Baelish. Right this way,” the young woman motioned for them to follow her. Sansa started walking, finding it hard to concentrate on her steps. The woman led them to a set of stairs that took them to a balcony section on the restaurant that she hadn’t noticed before. It was a large space filled with twinkling lights and various flowers along the walls. Three or four couples sat, spread out in the large room that she presumed had sixty tables. She figured it was a rather exclusive place to eat in which the man following her was happy to flaunt his money for. A part of her wanted to almost roll her eyes. Joffrey used to use flaunt his money for her in the beginning, when she didn’t know what a monster he was.

 

“Is this table okay?” The woman was rather pretty, Sansa reflected. Long brown hair, blue eyes, and a fair face.

 

“This is perfect,” her date replied, holding out a chair for Sansa. She smiled politely before taking a seat. They sat in the far corner of the upper level, far away from the other couples. Petyr, if that was his real name, took the seat across from her, giving her that smirk that unnerved her so.

 

“Your sever will be right with you, but in the mean time can I get some drinks started for you?” the hostess looked to Sansa.

 

“Just water for me please,” she told the waitress. The waitress smiled and turned to Petyr.

 

“The house red please,” he replied with a smile that matched the waitress’. She nodded and strutted off, back down the stairs, leaving Sansa practically alone with this strange man. He was watching her, his eyes unreadable.

 

“Thank you for saying yes,” he started.

 

“I didn’t have much of a choice,” she muttered out before she could stop herself. Her eyes widened at the realization of what she had just said. Petyr’s eyebrow raised.

 

“That meaning?” he inquired, a slight frown appearing on her lips.

 

“Oh… uh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean-, I mean ultimately it was my choice but-,” she began to stammer. His chuckle cut her off.

 

“You can tell me, sweetling. I won’t be upset. I was rather surprised you said yes at all.” He leaned forward on the table, hands clasped in front of him. He looked right in the scenery.

 

“Well I wasn’t going to. I’m not really the type of girl to… you know,” she motioned to Petyr and the area around them, “but I have a friend who pushed it. She claims she’s tired of seeing me mope around. Which isn’t true, I don’t mope, but I guess she sees me being single as moping so she pushed me to go on this date to get out there… and I’m rambling, I’m sorry.”

 

“Don’t apologize. You haven’t done anything wrong. I understand if you hadn’t wanted to come out, given my age, but I’m glad you did. You have one hell of a friend for sure.”

 

“She’s certainly something. Speaking of which, I should probably tell her I’m okay or she’ll be marching in here pretty soon,” she told him, digging for her phone. She heard Petyr chuckle again.

 

“And why is that?” he asked. Sansa looked up at him, feeling her cheeks turn red.

 

“I told her if I didn’t text her in ten minutes to come in, because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen,” she told him honestly. He gave her that damned smirk.

 

“And are you sure what’s going to happen now?” The spark of mischief in his eye was hard to miss.

 

“No,” she spoke quietly, “but I feel if you were going to do something less than gentlemanly, you would have done it already.”

 

“And why is that?” he asked. She could feel his intense stare as she typed a quick message to Margaery.

 

“To catch me off guard. I come up alone and vulnerable. You wouldn’t have to try hard,” she revealed. His eyebrows raised as he almost nodded to himself.

 

“Sure, that’s true. But you were also suspicious of something happening. Your friend would have noticed and all hell would break loose. You were prepared. The smart man would wait for your guard to be down. But as long as you keep that in mind, you will have the advantage. Even the most dangerous men can be outmaneuvered.” His statement chilled her. She wasn’t sure what his motives were. It was an odd kind of advice to give. If he wanted to take advantage of her, would he have been so bold as to tell her how to stay ahead? Or was he only trying to make her think she had the upper hand?

 

“I don’t mean to frighten you,” he said as if reading her mind, “only to try and assure you that I will be nothing but a gentleman.”

 

She nodded before the hostess came back with their drinks.

 

_I’m okay. I think._

 

She sent the text to Margaery. She put her phone back in her purse before taking a sip of water. The hostess smiled at both of them before handing them menus. Sansa wondered how she could smile so much.

 

“Thank you,” Petyr said to her, his eyes never leaving Sansa. She wasn’t used to such attention. Of course, she was looked at, but with Petyr it was different. He wasn’t just looking at her, he watched. He was attentive to every word she said and every move she made. It was almost haunting how his eyes followed her every move.

 

Sansa looked down at her menu, a black leather cover with the word ‘L'inizio’ written in the middle in silver italics.

 

“Do you know what it means?” he asked from across the table. She shook her head. He smiled wide at her before taking a sip of his red wine. “It means ‘the beginning’.”

 

She felt herself go red for no reason. It was an interesting choice of restaurant all around. She nodded shyly while flipping open the menu to take a look. Everything was in Italian.

 

“Petyr!” a booming voice pulled her from her attempt at decoding the Italian language. She looked up to see a large man with long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and a burn covering the right side of his face.

 

“Sandor!” Petyr stood up to greet the man in a handshake. The man grinned at Petyr, who looked to be almost a foot shorter. Sansa watched, rather confused at the exchange. The man wearing the dirty apron did not look like he belonged in the elegance of the picture.

 

“How are you, you ass? I haven’t heard from you in months,” the large man asked, releasing Petyr from his grip.

 

“I’ve been travelling a lot for work, unfortunately. I’ve been meaning to stop by. How’s the new position going?” Petyr flexed his hand slightly at his side after the hand shake.

 

“It’s been great. Though some of these cock-suckers need to learn how to lighten up,” the man with the burns said rather loudly. She saw a few people look up from their meals to look at him.

 

“Most people do. I’m being incredibly rude, Sandor this is Sansa,” he motioned over to the red head. Tentatively she stood and held out her hand. He glanced over her and grabbed her hand, shaking it with less force than she had expected.

 

“You’re with this guy?” He inquired.

 

“It seems that way,” she replied. His laughter echoed through the room.

 

“Well let me know if he tries anything. I can easily poison his food,” Sandor joked while watching Petyr. The two men laughed as if knowing something she didn’t.

 

“That won’t be necessary. I promise to be the upmost gentleman,” Petyr swore, glancing over to Sansa and flashing her a smile. Sandor laughed louder.

 

“Bullshit. When have you ever been a gentleman?”

 

“You’d be surprised.” Sansa smiled at this strange interaction. Petyr was dressed in classy attire while the man in front of him wore stained clothes.

 

“Takes a lot to surprise me,” the man laughed again before looking over to Sansa, “enough chatter. You hungry, girl?”

 

“A little,” she said shyly.

 

“I’ll personally take your orders then. What are you having?”

 

“My usual,” Petyr said, earning an eye roll from Sandor.

 

“I figured that much. I meant the lady.” Sansa sat back down and flipped open the menu. She couldn’t quite decode the Italian.

 

“Spaghetti and meatballs?” She was unsure but it was the one thing in Italian that she could kind of read.

 

“Coming right up. And Baelish, if I hear you weren’t a gentleman, I’ll stick your head through your ass,” with that the large man with the burns walked away as Sansa watched him go. Petyr sat back down in his seat, taking another sip of wine.

 

“Doesn’t quite fit does he?” Petyr asked. Sansa shook her head. “He used to be in Prime Minister Baratheon’s service.”

 

“Really?” Sansa asked. He didn’t seem like the type of man to work for Robert Baratheon. He had the build to be in that kind of service but his attitude was one that didn’t reflect the position.

 

“Oh yes. But he grew tired of the old man and his snotty son. He resigned rather forcefully. I had known him from previous years in dealing with business. Our paths crossed and he offered a few favors, disposing of some bad business deals really, and when he left Baratheon’s service he called me to return the favor. I knew the owner of this establishment and knew Sandor had a knack for food and called in a few favors to get him here. He’s a good man. He still does some business for me but mostly he keeps to himself in the kitchen. It quite brightened his spirits from how he used to be.”

 

“How did he… you know…” she pointed to her face. Petyr nodded in acknowledgement.

 

“Ah, the burns? It’s a rather gruesome tale. Sandor has an older brother. When they were younger, Sandor had borrowed a toy from Gregor but that didn’t go over so well. Gregor pushed his brother into the fire, nearly killing him.” Sansa covered her mouth with her hand. That was _awful_.

 

“But that’s terrible,” she exclaimed. Petyr smirked.

 

“Gregor Cleagane is not a nice person,” he offered. Sansa nodded in agreement. “But not many people are.”

 

“Are you a nice person?” Sansa asked, watching his eyes grow dark. The left corner of his mouth quirked as he watched her. He leaned forward on his forearms, bringing his face closer to hers. She hadn’t even noticed she had been leaning towards him.

 

“Do you think I’m a nice person?” His voice was chilling, she could faintly smell a twinge of mint on his breath. She wasn’t sure how to answer the question. He seemed decently nice, but then again she had only just met him. She wasn’t capable of forming a solid opinion about his character.

 

“Well everyone has the capacity to be nice,” she told him, rather ignoring the question. He smiled softly.

 

“And everyone has the capacity to be terrible. The world isn’t black and white though everyone so desperately wants to believe it is.”

 

“Actually we’ve been over a similar topic in my Political Science class; people are a million different shades of grey but never black and white is something my professor always told us.” Petyr’s eyes lit up.

 

“You’re taking political science?” He asked, not shocked or disgusted as most people seemed to be when she told them she was taking political science but rather excited. She smiled a little and began to play with the ring on her index finger.

 

“I am. My father and brother are in politics and as much as my mother detested that I get involved with the business, I always had an interest,” she admitted. He watched her with thoughtful eyes.

 

“So you know about the Baratheon scandal?” he inquired.

 

“We are actually studying that right now. Our professor is a huge Baratheon supporter, even though he tries not to display it in class.”

 

“And do you think the Prime Minister embezzled all that money?” he asked.

 

“It’s likely, considering how he likes to live. Extravagant wine and likely drugs. My father was good friends with Robert, he knows how Robert likes to live. Girls aren’t cheap either. But I don’t really think it was Robert who did the embezzling. I think it was someone in his party who either wanted him gone, or who wanted the money and needed someone to blame it on.”

 

“And why would that be, sweetling?”

 

“Because Robert, as bold as he may be, loves his country and wouldn’t want to take more money from the people that he already has.” Petyr watched her with such wonder as she spoke. She never had these conversations with anyone else. Her brother and father often debated each other in political conversations, she could barely get a word in edgewise. Her mother had never been much into politics. Her younger siblings could care less, except maybe Bran on a good day. Her adopted brother Jon mostly kept to himself. Most of her friends were indifferent, especially Margaery. It was nice to have someone hear her out. Even in her Political science class, it was mostly writing based.

 

“So, the question is, who is embezzling the money?” he asked her, looking into her eyes, his face rather unreadable.

 

“I think Cersei Lannister,” Sansa said with a slight shrug. Petyr raised his eyebrows.

 

“That’s a bold accusation.”

 

“She’s always been indifferent to her husband, it’s obvious in her face. And Cersei has always been power hungry. Her father was the one who got Baratheon the seat in office but I think she wanted it for herself. Framing Robert would take him out of the picture.” Petyr nodded as she spoke, giving her an intense look as if contemplating this outcome.

 

“Indeed, but what of the boy? It is rumored Joffrey is to take his father’s seat in the party and run as candidate.” She winced at his name, trying to cover it up by taking a sip of her water. He squinted for a split second and she was afraid he noticed but he did not comment. She thanked the gods.

 

“If he runs, he’s easier to control, I suppose. Cersei’s his mother. She may not be leading physically but it’s like a master puppeteer, she will be pulling strings,” she replied. Petyr smiled, admiringly.

 

“Very good, sweetling. It’s an interesting theory. But Cersei still has to fight against the Targaryen party who is a strong contender.”

 

“Yes, but her father was a radical who tried to execute anyone who he suspected of treason, which was half the country. Her father’s mistakes aren’t hers but that’s not how the rest of the country will see it.”

 

“Isn’t Joffrey in the same situation?”

 

“Yes but in the eyes of people the execution of half the country and embezzlement are different.”

 

“Perhaps, but both are under the pressure of what their fathers have done, maybe neither has a chance,” he stated.

 

“Are you suggesting a third party could win?” she asked him puzzled. The Targaryens had been in power for so long and Robert was the only change Sansa had seen.

 

“I know the Greyjoys are trying to rally support,” Petyr suggested, shrugging and taking another sip of wine.

 

“The Grejoys are always trying rally support and never get very far,” she said, a light chuckle in her throat. Theon and Robb had always gotten into arguments because Theon endlessly supported his father’s political career while Robb wasn’t a fan of Balon Greyjoy. The man was a crook, Robb had once said.

 

“You are very right in that, my dear,” Petyr laughed. He had a nice laugh, Sansa thought.

 

“You got legs, can you actually use them,” Sansa heard Sandor’s booming voice coming up the stairs. He was followed by a young man with neat hair and a white dress shirt holding two dishes.

 

“Personal service from the chef himself,” Petyr commented as Sandor approached.

 

“Had to make sure this oaf didn’t fuck it up. He’s new.” The young man looked visibly annoyed. He looked only to be a year or two older than Sansa. He placed the dishes in front of Petyr and herself. She was hit by the smell of garlic and her stomach growled. She was hungry.

 

“Thank you,” Sansa said to the boy. Petyr did the same.

 

“Alright now get out of here. We’re busy tonight,” Sandor said to the boy, clapping his shoulder before the boy scurried off. “As for you too, enjoy. I made sure my sue chef didn’t fuck up like he did last time.”

 

With that Sandor was off, leaving the two to themselves. Sansa looked over to Petyr’s plate. It looked like lasagna.

 

“It’s lasagna with veal,” he said as if reading her once again. He unfolded his napkin and placed it on his lap as Sansa did the same. She nodded and began to dig into her spaghetti. It was incredible. She couldn’t believe how good it was. The sauce hit all the right notes of salty and a bit of sweetness with a twinge of spice.

 

“Is it good?” Petyr asked. Sansa nodded enthusiastically as she chewed. Petyr chuckled. “Sandor can be a bit of a brute but he’s sure is a hell of a cook.”

 

Sansa nodded her agreement, indulging in her pasta. Dinner became rather quiet, but not awkward. Petyr would ask questions like what other classes she took and what she liked to read. He seemed not to ask out of obligation for being on a date but because he was sincerely interested. Joffrey had been the only other guy she had been on a date with and he was always self involved. He always talked about the last football game or what Tommen had done to annoy him, he never wanted to know about her. Petyr had begun to make her forget about the age difference or the way they met. It was just like she was talking to a friend. She wanted to curse herself for being so comfortable with him so quickly but she couldn’t bring herself to do so. She just felt content talking about life with him.

 

When they had finished dinner, Sansa decided she had never felt so contently full in her life.

 

“Well I would offer we get dessert, but I couldn’t take another bite,” Petyr told her honestly. Sansa giggled.

 

“Neither can I. It was delicious,” she praised.

 

“Indeed. Well, I suppose we can go down so I can pay. Did you drive here?”

 

“I didn’t, my friend drove me,” she said, mentally cursing herself for not texting Margaery earlier to ask if she could pick her up.

 

“Would you allow me to drive you home?” He asked, his eyes bright as he reflected on a chance of something. Every impulse in Sansa’s body screamed to say no.

 

“I’d really appreciate it, thank you,” she replied, smiling politely at him. He nodded and stood. She followed as he made his way across the room towards the stairs. He stopped and gestured to the stairs.

 

“Ladies first.” She smiled at him and made her way down to the front desk.

 

“Mr. Baelish, how did you find everything?” the man who had been at the front earlier asked.

 

“Very well thank you. Please let Chef Cleagane know that the food was superb,” Petyr told the man.

 

“Of course, sir. How would you like to pay?”

 

“Cash.” Petyr pulled out his wallet and pulled out a couple hundred bills, handing them to the man. “Don’t bother with change.”

 

“Always the gracious tipper,” the man said. “Have a great evening, Mr. Baelish, and Ms.”

 

“You as well,” Petyr said, putting a hand on Sansa’s back to lead her out of the restaurant. She felt the heat of his hand through her shirt and had to fight a shiver. The cool night air tingled on her skin as she stepped outside. It wasn’t too cold, just cool enough.

 

“I could have pitched in for dinner,” she spoke quietly. She heard him laugh as he removed his hand from her back. She cursed internally for missing the warmth.

 

“Don’t concern yourself with that. You came on a date you didn’t entirely want to go on, it’s the least I could have done. Plus it’s not like I don’t have the money.” She could hear the smirk in his voice as he said the last bit. He motioned for her to turn to the right with him.

 

“Thank you, for dinner,” she told him. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his slacks as they walked at a rather slow pace.

 

“It was my pleasure. Maybe you’ll consider doing it again?” he asked. She felt herself blush and a small smile spread across her face. She couldn’t deny she felt surprisingly comfortable with him and he had been a complete gentleman. She wasn’t completely sure about him and yet she did know she wouldn’t mind seeing him again.

 

“I think I’d like that,” she said. She looked over, and while the sun had set and the night was dark, she swore she saw a smile on his face in the dim street light.

 

“Alright, here we are.” They had stopped in front of a sleek black Mercedes parked along the street. She wasn’t sure if she had ever seen a shinier car, even in the dark it gleamed. Petyr pulled his keys from his pocket, unlocking the car and holding the door open for her. She smiled at him before sinking down into the seat. He made sure she was in before he closed the door and got in on his side. Before he started the car, he pulled his phone from his pocket and unlocked it, opening his maps. He handed it to her.

 

“Type in your address,” he instructed as he put the keys in the ignition. She did as she was told, handing the phone back to him. He glanced over the directions before shutting the phone off.

 

“I lived in the same apartment building when I was going to school,” he said, merging on to the road.

 

“Really?” She asked, she realized she still didn’t know much about him. It was nice to hear something about who he was. He nodded in response to her question.

 

“I hadn’t much money to my name at that time. I worked two jobs to try and put myself through school and keep the apartment. I don’t think I had a proper sleep for almost a decade,” he mused, turning left.

 

“How did you function?” she asked, amazed at the differences between their schooling experiences.

 

“I think I drank about ten gallons of coffee a day,” he chuckled. She smiled. Now that didn’t sound too different.

 

“What did you take?” She asked.

 

“At first I had actually majored in English and writing but I wasn’t necessarily all that good. I realized I was better with numbers. I ended up taking a double major in business and accounting as well as a minor in political science, actually. It got me a lot further than I think writing would have. It was a good pastime but I didn’t feel it was substantial enough.”

 

“Do you still write?” She was intrigued.  She hadn’t taken him for a writer.

 

“Sometimes. Not often. It’s not something I see as something I can simply make time for. When I was a boy, I wrote religiously everyday. I had this torn up little notebook of poetry. It was rather foolish,” he laughed as he was remembering his youth. She smiled, thinking of a young Petyr writing in a notebook in his bedroom.

 

“I don’t think it’s foolish,” she replied thoughtfully.

 

“Your uncle Edmure would disagree,” he started with a chuckle, “he once took my notebook and read the poetry at the dinner table one night. Your mother found it rather comedic.”

 

“I can’t believe Uncle Edmure would do that. He’s so proper whenever I see him.”

 

“Well this was before your grandfather whipped him into shape. Edmure had been a silly boy who liked to poke fun and play pranks, but Hoster Tully grew quite tired of that. He told Edmure he needed to grow up shortly before I left your family. I believe he was about sixteen when your grandfather announced he had stage three cancer. He told Edmure that he would have to be the man of the house and needed to get his act together. Edmure wasn’t quite the same after that.” This wasn’t a shock to Sansa, she knew her grandfather had been very sick and had died before her birth but Petyr’s words still pulled at her heart. Her mother had never gone into detail about her childhood, she only saw her aunt at Christmas, and her uncle often kept to himself whenever he visited. She didn’t have much of an idea of how her mother’s youth was but hearing this new information made her feel almost sad for how her mother and her siblings had to grow up so fast.

 

“I wish I could have known him then,” she spoke.

 

“He was quite the character. He was always joking and he was always so happy. I enjoyed him quite a bit. But I haven’t seen him in… it must be close to thirty years,” Petyr spoke with a bit of a shock in his tone. Thirty years was long before Sansa was even born, she thought to herself quietly.

 

“That’s quite a long time,” she answered.

 

“And yet I can remember it like it was yesterday.” He turned on to her street, pulling up to the apartment building. “May I walk you up?”

 

“I wouldn’t object,” she said, smiling in the dark car at him. She could see the hint of a smile on his lips as he parked the car along the street. As much as she hated to admit it, she had fun with him. They both proceeded to get out of the car.

 

“I hope this wasn’t too horrible of a night for you,” he told her as they walked through one of the entrances of the apartment building. He held the door open for her.

 

“Not at all,” she spoke honestly, stepping through the door. She walked straight towards the elevator.

 

“I’m glad,” he said, beating her to press the up key for the elevator. She turned to glare at him and he only smiled smugly and shrugged. The elevator opened almost instantly and Sansa stepped in with Petyr close behind. The elevator was rather spacious but Petyr had stayed close; his outstretched arm gripping the railing just behind where she stood. If she were to move back only slightly, he would have his arm around her. The air in the elevator felt a lot heavier with him in it. She could smell that faint mint coming from him. She stood in silence but her mind was deafening. Mixed signals clouded, some telling her to run and some begging her to stay. It was an unusual sensation.

 

The ding of the elevator brought her from her thoughts. She looked over to Petyr who had already been staring at her, likely for the whole ride up. His face was far too close. For a fraction of a second, she wondered what it would be like if she just leaned in… Would she find out what all this experience talk was? Would he be gentle as he had been the entire night? She shook the thoughts from her head and flashed him a smile instead, exiting the elevator. Her door was only a few steps down the hall so they didn’t travel far. She stopped in front of the door with the number 407 on it.

 

“Well, thank you again for coming out tonight. I can’t remember the last time a date went so well,” he joked. She giggled a little, brushing a piece of auburn hair behind her ear.

 

“Well, thank you for dinner. It was delicious,” she replied. He smiled and it seemed genuine rather than the one that often didn’t reach his eyes.

 

“I don’t know how to ask this without sounding like I’m a sixteen-year-old boy, but may I ask for your number?” She smiled.

 

“Sure.” He pulled out his phone and opened it up to a new contact. She typed her name and number in, even though the alarms in her head told her not to do it. He was still twice her age, she should not be giving her number to him.

 

“Thank you,” He told her, putting his phone away. He looked into her eyes. His smile disappeared slowly and he looked at her differently than he had all night. His eyes flicked from her eyes to her lips then back up again. She was not sure if she should be frightened. He almost looked as if he was going to kiss her, and the scary part was that she might let him. He leaned toward her and her body told her to push back, to run, that this wouldn’t lead anywhere good. She was frozen, she couldn’t seem to move. He leaned in but rather than kiss her mouth, his lips brushed her cheek gently, she could feel the prickle of his goatee on her skin. It was merely a second that he stayed there, Sansa wasn’t even sure if it had happened at all.

 

“Goodnight, Sansa,” he spoke softly into her ear, his breath warm against her skin.

 

“Goodnight, Petyr,” she echoed as he began to walk away. She wasn’t sure how long she stood in front of the door for. She felt stuck in place as time moved slowly. She could still feel the ghost of his lips on her cheek, sending a chill down her spine.

 

Eventually she snapped out of it, digging through her bag to find her keys to unlock the door. When she entered the apartment, she felt dazed. Even more so when Margaery began calling her name.

 

“Sansa, are you alright?” she asked, eyes wide as she had run up to her.

 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Sansa question, blinking in confusion.

 

“Did you not get my text?”

 

“What text? My phone has been in my bag all night.” Margaery frowned.

 

“Oh dear,” Margaery muttered.

 

“What is it Marg?” Sansa didn’t want to play games.

 

“Well I had gone over to grandmothers and we were talking about your date and I showed her some pictures and well… the thing is…” Sansa rolled her eyes at Margaery’s reluctance.

 

“Just tell me,” Sansa urged. Her stomach twisted. What was she about to hear? Was Petyr someone different than the person she had painted in her mind that night? The unfortunate answer came from Margaery’s lips.

 

“Petyr Baelish does underground business for the Lannisters, which includes disposing of anyone who has wronged them as well as caring for some of their affairs. He lays low but he is definitely employed by Tywin Lannister and directly works with him and his daughter Cersei, otherwise known as Prime Minister Baratheon’s wife.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY I updated. I meant to update Friday but work did not allow it. God I hate having responsibilities, Anyhow hope you enjoyed my trash. Honestly I would rate this a 6/10 but like I tried. That ending is a a bit of a cliffhanger hey? I try. Anyhow thank you for reading and let me know what you thought!

**Author's Note:**

> This was rough as hell I'm sorry


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